Remember Part 3

My family and I visited section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery for Memorial Day. This is where most of the OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) casualties are buried. I did a funeral here for an Air Force EOD airman in April as well as one last fall for an OSI airman. This place is very special ground for me as I have trod some of the same sand as these now lost to us. For some reason these words come to mind as a tribute as we remember:


Verse 4 -- National Anthem

O thus be it ever,

When free men shall stand

Between their loved homes

And the war's desolation;

Blest with vict'ry and peace,

May the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made

And preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must,

When our cause it is just,

And this be our motto,

"In God is our trust!"

And the star-spangled banner

In triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free

And the home of the brave.

Remember Part 2

Here are some stories to ponder and reflect upon.

A day at Arlington to Remember Heroes

Laid to Rest

Our Nation's Most Hallowed Ground

It Began as a Springtime Holiday.

If You Visit Arlington

Or take a VIRTUAL TOUR OF ARLINGTON CEMETERY

"They don't have any of these Hamlet-like moments of indecision
about whether America is worth defending or a good country,"

"We need somebody in our culture that's ready to rock and roll, do or die, otherwise we're doomed."

--Peter Collier, author of "Medal of Honor" .
a book of profiled of the 138 Medal of Honor recipients.

Remember

This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend. Today, I assisted with the placement of flags in an area of Arlington National Cemetery known as Chaplain's hill. It was a moving experience to be able to say that I had the privilege to render this honor.



Memorial Day was proclaimed May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, then the Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. His general Order #11 included these words:

"...If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan..."

Yesterday, I had the privilege of providing the invocation for the Memorial Day Remembrance for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It was a beautiful day, with ceremony outside in full view of all around. I shared these words with those who gathered to honor those who have served:

Almighty God
as we gather together today in this continuing time of struggle and conflict
to remember all who served and sacrificed that our nation might always be free, grant that this time will be a time of remembrance and reflection

as we remember, grant us wisdom

as we remember, grant us hope

as we remember, grant us resolve

as we remember those who served with honor,

grant that we may be inspired to such service

as we remember those who go forth at our nation’s call,

may we recall their families who remain behind

as we remember the valor and the glory,

may we remember the wounded and the healing.

as we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice,

grant that we never forget their loved ones who grieve.

today as we remember the necessary cost for freedom, we are bold to pray:
grant us victory, may freedom endure,
and may our children and our children’s children know peace.

Running with the Old Dogs

Now I have to admit, this old dog enjoys being able to keep up with the younger dogs in the pack, but this guy is Hooah!

Most of those young dogs I've been running with are army strong. We're trying to get a weekly run from our office out to the Washington Memorial and back, about 4.5 miles. Walk in the park as they say. (Though is it one big park :)

This guy on the other hand: Not so Hooah.

Mountain therapy

While home in the East Tennessee hills, I took time for one of my favorite diversions: running various trails through the East Tennessee hills. The Greenbelt in Kingsport has always been a favorite location, due to it being close to mom's but also just for its serenity, some of which is captured here. And the Greenbelt has been part of my life for over 20 years since it first opened and is home to many treasured memories.

Spring was in full bloom, this past weekend. There were a multitude of wild flowers all over the path. After running the path, I took time to grab my camera and walk the first portion. Sitting on a bench, up in the hills, and very much alone with the birds, mountain air, and the natural sounds of the surround, I thought to myself, now this is therapy. Tennessee is a place that refreshes the soul somehow.

The creek that flows along the path is named Reedy Creek. While my father had a rather creative story for how the creek was started that had to do with a certain attribute of my grandfather, the truth is my branch of the Reedy family didn't move into the area until the middle 20th century. The name was given to the creek by a early Reedy settler in the area going all the way back to colonial days when Kingsport was actually a small trading port on the Holston River.